Flat paper towel and dispenser therefor



Oct. 13, 1964 c 1- o v s ETAL 3,152,722

FLAT PAPER TQWEL AND DISPENSER THEREFOR Filed NOV. 15, 1961 3Sheets-Sheet 1 l -za INVENTORS Jon/v C. Dramas/rm CHARLES Hf T/MMHJMH J.c. THOMASMA ETAL 3,152,722

FLAT PAPER TOWEL AND DISPENSER THEREFOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 13,1964

Filed. Nov. 15, 1961 IIIIHIII INVENTORS JOHN C. mamas/ m BY (ff/7R4 5 W.Mamas/v.4

Oct. 13 1964 J. c. THOMASMA ETAL 3,152,722

FLAT PAPER TOWEL AND DISPENSER THEREFOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 15,1961 INVENTORS Jamv C THUMBS/VIA CHHRLES W. THOMAS/W4 United StatesPatent 3,152,722 FLAT PAPER TOWEL AND DISPENSER THEREFOR John C.Thomasma, Kalamazoo, and Charles W.

Thomasma, Sturgis, Mich, assignors to Sanitor Mfg. Co., Kalamazoo, Mich,a corporation of Michigan Filed Nov. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 152,563 6Claims. (Cl. 221-259) This invention relates to a paper towel,particularly to a paper towel which can be packed and dispensed in flatform, and to a dispenser therefor. This application is acontinuation-in-part of application Serial No. 678,506, filed August 16,1957, now abandoned, and of application Serial No. 783,401, filedDecember 29, 1958, now US. Patent No. 3,037,717.

Disposable paper towels are used widely in washrooms, in the home, atautomobile service stations and in other places. It has heretofore beenthe custom to prepare paper towels in the form of rolls or in the formof packs of interfolded individual towels for loading into a suitabledispenser from which individual towels can be dispensed as needed. Bothof these forms are familiar in the trade.

It should be pointed out, however, that the provision of paper towels inthe form of interfolded packs or in the form of rolls involves certaininherent disadvantages and uneconomical features. In the manufacture ofpacks of interfolded towels it is necessary that each towel be foldedwith respect to the next adjacent towel to be dispensed so that thewithdrawal of one towel from a dispenser will effect the withdrawal of apart of the next towel into a position such that it can be graspedreadily by the hand. This involves the use of costly and complicatedfolding machinery and requires the presence of a skilled operator toinsure the successful operation of the apparatus and the production ofproperly folded towels. The preparation of paper towels in rolls is alsoa costly operation since it necessitates a rewinding operation totransfer the paper from a supply roll to the roll which is being formed.Individual towels of such rolls are generally separated from one anotherby a line of perforations and an additional operation is required toform the perforations. In addition, each roll requires the use of a coremade of cardboard or other suitable material around which the perforatedpaper is wound and the core usually represents a substantial part of thematerial cost of each roll.

Both interfolded packs and rolls of paper towels are generally packagedin lots of several dozen or more for shipping, requiring the use of acarton made of heavy gauge corrugated paperboard or of other suitablematerial. Because of the nature of the interfolded packs and of therolls, it is impossible to compress either of them prior to packaginginto a shipping carton sufficiently to permit the economical use of thespace within the carton. In the case of rolls the towels cannot be woundtoo tightly on the core and there is also invariably a high proportionof waste space in the carton due to the unoccupied spaces between theround rolls. These factors lead not only to the use of undesirably largeshipping cartons for the actual weight of paper contained in the cartonsbut are of importance in determining the freight rate on such large,bulky, relatively lightweight cartons of material. The net result isthat both the packaging and shipping costs of both interfolded packs andof rolls of paper towels are excessively high considering the value andactual weight of the towels themselves.

All of the foregoing factors contribute in important ways to the highcost and inconvenience involved in the manufacture, packaging andshipping of paper towels in these forms. In addition, paper towels areoften used,

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especially in the kitchen or laboratory, for purposes which necessitatetheir being spread out flat on a table or other surface. Towels whichare sharply creased, as from being folded, or curled, as from beingrolled, are not well suited to such uses and the consumption of papertowels for such purposes would be increased considerably if uncreasedand uncurled towels which would lie flat on a flat surface wereavailable.

According to the present invention the foregoing and other objectionsinherent in the manufacture, packaging, shipping and use of interfoldedand rolled towels are overcome in great measure by providing a flatpaper towel which can be assembled, in the way which will be described,in unfolded and unrolled form as a pack of flat sheets and, also, byproviding a suitable dispenser in which a pack of the fiat towels can beinstalled and from which the towels can be dispensed individually bymechanical means as desired, as will also be described. It is clear thatany dispenser adapted to the dispensing of an individual paper towelfrom an interfolded pack or from a roll thereof would be of little or novalue in dispensing flat, unfolded or unrolled paper towels.

The provision of such a towel makes it possible to arrange the towels inflat pack form free from creases and curves and, by suitably pressingthe pack and banding it, to increase the density of the prepared pack toa value much greater than is possible with either interfolded or rolledtowels. Because of the regular, usually rectangular, configuration andrelatively greater density of packs of'the new flat towels, a givenweight or number of the towels can be shipped in a much smaller cartonthan can an equal weight or number of towels in interfolded or rolledpack form with a consequent saving in carton costs and in shipping costsinto the determination of which considerations of bulk may enter. Theuse of costly and complicated interfolding machinery is avoided, as isalso the use of perforating machinery, rewinding machinery and theprovision of cores normally required for the preparation of rolls ofpaper towels. A dispensed towel can be spread flat on a table top orother flat surface without any tendency for it to curl or lie unevenlywhen it is desired to use it in this way.

Although numerous attempts have been made heretofore to assemble flatpaper towels in pack form from which individual towels could bedispensed as desired, these have not led to practical or economicalarrangements. It will, of course, be apparent that in any sucharrangement it is imperative from a practical point of view that thepack be disposed in a dispenser in a position such that each towelextends in approximately a vertical plane in order for the dispenser topresent a neat and pleasing appearance and, more importantly, to avoidthe projection of the dispenser in an ungainly fashion from a wall orother structure to which it is secured as would be the case if theindividual towels were disposed horizontally within the dispenser.Heretofore it has been found possible to assemble paper towels in flatform for disposal vertically in a dispenser only in the form of integralpads in which the towels are secured to one another adjacent their topedges, generally by means of a mechanical fastening arrangement. In thecase of mechanical fasteners for securing the towels together, it hasgenerally been found necessary to actually perforate or otherwise formeach towel so that'it will tear around the fastener when dispensed insuch a way that when all of the towels have been dispensed there willstill remain a plug of paper in the dispenser which must be discarded.The undesirably high cost of such an arrangement, due to themanufacturing operations involved and to the waste of paper incurred, aswell as to the difiiculty of developing a suitable dispenser fordispensing individual towels from such an integral pad and the unsightlytorn appearance of the towel, is obvious.

For these and other reasons there has not heretofore been disclosed aflat, unperforated paper towel of which a plurality can be collectedinto a pack of superposed, wholly unconnected towels which can bedispensed vertically in a dispenser and from which individual towels canbe dispensed as desired. Furthermore, no dispenser has been disclosedwhich could accomplish such a dispensing operation if such a towel hadbeen available. The towel of the present invention overcomes thesedifficulties in a convenient and economical manner. The towels in thepack are neither connected to one another nor perforated and can bedispensed without tearing or other mutilation. The pack can be disposedin the dispenser with each individual towel in essentially a verticalposition and the 'filled dispenser can thus be made decorative and needproject from the supporting structure for a distance only slightlygreater than the thickness of the pack.

Although the invention .will be described with particular reference to apaper towel in the form of a sheet of paper of suitable dimensions,weight and absorbent properties, it should be mentioned that papersheets having a wide range of properties, particularly of flexibilityand stiffness, can be formed into packs and dispensed in accordance withthe invention, particularly when certain modifications which will bementioned are incorporated in the dispenser. Such other sheets, forexample, may, on the one hand, be made of waxed paper, parchment andcertain grades of tissue and, on the other hand, of stock which isheavier and less absorbent than paper toweling stock, such as wrappingpaper and the like. It will be clear as the description proceeds how themodifications mentioned can be incorporated to adapt the dispenser tothe dispensing of paper sheets made of non-toweling stock.

The invention can be understood readily by reference to the accompanyingdrawing wherein, in the interest of clarity, certain features are shownon a somewhat exaggerated scale and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a fiat paper towel embodying features of theinvention;

FIGURE 2 is an oblique elevation of a towel dispenser for dispensingindividual towels similar to that of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation, partially in section, of the dispenser ofFIGURE 2 showing certain additional features thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a partial plan view of a cut metal blank illustrating oneway in which certain features of the dispenser are provided for;

FIGURE 5 is a partial side sectional elevation showing the way in whichthe blank of FIGURE 4 is incorporated in the dispenser;

FIGURE 6 is a partial front sectional elevation corresponding to theside sectional elevation of FIGURE 5';

FIGURE 7 is a partial vertical sectional elevationshowing an alternatearrangement of certain of the parts;

FIGURE 8 is a partial front elevation corresponding to the partialvertical sectional elevation of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is an elevation, partially in section, taken along the lineIX-IX of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 10 is a side elevation, partially in section and with certainparts cut away, taken along the line XX 'of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 11 is a side elevation, partially in section, corresponding toFIGURE 10 but showing a partial advancement of certain of the parts;

FIGURE 12 is a side elevation, partially in section, corresponding toFIGURE 11 but showing a further advancement of certain of the parts;

FIGURE 13 is a partial vertical sectional view taken along the lineXIII-XIII of FIGURE 12; and

FIGURE 14 is an oblique elevation of a bound pack of paper towels of theinvention.

Referring to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a paper towel 15 which isadapted to be supported vertically in unfolded and unrolled flatcondition in a suitable dispenser in a manner such that an individualtowel may be dispensed from a pack thereof supported in the dispenser.It will be noted that the towel 15 is completely free of perforations ortear lines of any sort along which it must be torn during the dispensingoperation and it will be apparent as the description proceeds that, whena plurality of the towels are assembled in face-to-face relationship ina pack and the pack loaded into a dispenser, the individual towels,although in face-to-face contact, are completely separate from oneanother. No stubs of the individual towels or plugs of the pack remainin the dispenser. Furthermore, because of the regular rectangular shapeof the towel, an assembled pack, 55 of FIGURE 14, of a plurality oftowels of satisfactorily high weight per unit volume for economicalshipping can be formed, the pack being preferably bound with a paperband 16, as also illustrated in FIGURE 14. In addition, it will be clearthat the packs, themselves, can be loaded into a suitably dimensionedshipping carton with essentially no waste space in the filled carton.Because of these considerations, the packaging and shipping costs ofpacks of the towels are reduced to a minimum.

A feature of the towel 15 is the provision which is made to support itin a dispenser both until the initiation of a dispensing operation and,of especial importance, until a sufiicient section of an individualtowel has been forwarded or ejected out of the dispenser into a positionsuch that it can be grasped by the hand and the entire towel thenwithdrawn. Because of this feature there is no danger whatsoever of apartially ejected towel dropping out of the dispenser onto the floorbefore it is grasped by the hand. The supporting feature referred toconsists of a pair of hanger slots 17 and 18 which extend from oppositelateral edges 19 and '21, respectively, of the towel 15 in the generaldirection of one another. The slots 17 and 18 are located in the upperhalf of the towel 15, i.e. they are located closer to the top edge 22than to the bottom edge 23 of the towel. Although it will be apparentlater on that considerable latitude can be exercised in the preciselocation of the slots 17 and 18, depending upon the characteristics ofthe particular paper toweling employed, it is generally convenient andpreferable to locate the slots 17 and 18 so that they are removed fromthe top edge 22 of the towel by a distance equal to from about '10 to 40percent of the length of the towel as measured between its top andbottom edges 22 and 23. For certain grades of paper toweling it isconvenient to locate the slots at a distance from the top edge of thetowel equal to from about 20 to about 30 percent of the length of thetowel. T-he slots 17 and 18 are usually each removed from the top edgeof the towel by the same distance.

The lengths of the hanger slots depend to aconsiderable extent upon theproperties, including the weight and the stiffness, of the individualtowel. To have the most desirable absorbent properties for water and tohave a cornfortable feel when used, most paper towels are cut fromsheets of a moderately creped paper. Such towels possess a certaindegree ofstiifness and are not generally characterized as being flimsybut are still insufficien-tly stiif to have a harsh feel when used, e.g.when used to dry the hands. While it is not possible to give precisespecifications, e.g. as to the degree of creping and the degree ofstiifness of paper suitable for use as toweling, such grades of paperare well known in the art and are herein sometimes, for want of a betterterm, referred to as simply moderately creped 'paper. Although theweight of paper used in making paper towels varies considerably, manytowels are made from moderately creped paper having a weight of fromabout 25 to about 40 pounds per ream of 480 sheets each 24 by 36inches.The paper towels of the present invention can be made satisfactorilyfrom such paper stocks as have been described,

as well as from other stocks varying considerably from the ranges ofproperties just mentioned.

Although the paper towel, and the dispenser therefor, of the presentinvention will be described with respect to the use of a paper stockhaving approximately the properties referred to for making the towel, itis pointed out that these properties are given merely by way ofexplanation and are in no wise to be considered as limiting. Thus, aswill be mentioned, by suitable modifications of the dispenser it can beused for dispensing sheets of moderately stiff tissue from a packthereof or even for dispensing sheets of stock which is so stiff andharsh as to be wholly unsuitable for paper toweling. In some instancescertain modifications of the sheet itself which is to be dispensed maybe necessary or advisable, either with or without modification of thedispenser, and these matters will be referred to as the descriptionproceeds.

Referring further to the hanger slots 17 and 18 of FIGURE 1, it ispointed out that the hanger slots not only extend from the lateral edgesof the towel in a general direction toward one another but that theyeach also diverge downwardly of the towel away from its top edge 22. Theangle of divergence 24 of the slots will depend to a considerable extenton the properties of the particular stock from which the towel is madebut with the general kind of stock referred to in the precedingparagraph an advantageous degree of divergence of the slots 17 and 18away from the top edge 22 of the towel may be from about 5 to about 20or even in some instances to about 30. Generally speaking, the stifferthe towel or paper sheets the greater the angle of divergence of theslots 17 and 18 away from the top edge 22 of the towel or sheet shouldbe. In a specific but unlimiting instance of a moderately creped towelweighing about 32 lbs. per ream, the slots 17 and 18 were formed withsatisfaction so as to diverge at an angle of 8 to 10 away from the topedge of the towel.

The length of the hanger slots 17 and 18 is also subject to considerablevariation, again depending to some extent upon the properties of thestock from which the towel or sheet is cut and also to some extent uponthe size and actual weight of the individual sheets or towels. The slotsshould be long enough to provide for supporting the entire weight of theindividual sheet or towel without sagging when the upper edges of theslots engage the upper edges of a pair of essentially fiat rigid hangersinserted into the slots in the manner which will be described. As asillustration, but again without limitation, a satisfactory length of theslots 17 and 18 is about one inch in the case of towels cut 11 /2 incheswide, or less, and about 12 inches long from a moderately creped stockweighing about 32 lbs. per ream. With heavier stock or wider towels itmay he sometimes necessary to increase the length of the slots to 1 /2inches or even sometimes 2 inches. With lightweight but stiff stock, thelength of the slots may sometimes be decreased to some extent. Generallyspeaking, it is not advisable to form the slots so that they are lessthan /2 to inch long, although here again this cannot be taken as adefinite limitation.

It will be noted also that the hanger slots 17 and 18 are definite slotsformed by cutting away a narrow strip of the paper stock so that the twosides of each slot, which are conveniently parallel with one another,are removed by a suitable distance from one another. A mere slitting ofthe paper rather than the formation of an actual slot would not furnishroom to accommodate a rigid hanger plate to the best advantage. Thewidth of the slot is not particularly critical but it is preferablyappreciably wider than the rigid hanger plate which is to be employed,for reasons which will be mentioned later. Any undue width of the slots17 and 18 is preferably avoided in the interest of conservation of paperstock since the slots are formed by actually cutting away acorrespondingly small portion of the sheet. In many instances, but againnot by way of limitation, hanger slots 6 which are from about A to about4 inch wide can be employed with satisfaction.

It will be observed that if lines, represented by the dotted lines 25and 26 of FIGURE 1, are drawn from the inner ends of the hanger slots 17and 18, respectively, parallel with the lateral edges 19 and 21 of thetowel 15 upward until they intersect the top edge 22 of the towel, thereare defined between the slots, the upper ends of the lateral edges 19and 21 of the sheet, the ends of the top edge 22 of the towel and thedotted lines 25 and 26 a pair of sections 27 and 28 of the towel. Thesesections 27 and 28 of the towel are, for want of a better term,sometimes herein referred to as friction tab sections or simply as tabsections of the towel. As will also be apparent from the followingdescription, the tab sections 27 and 28 are each designed, asillustrated in FIGURE 13, to be curled inwardly of the sheet toward oneanother during the dispensing operation through an angle of at leastabout into partial cylindrical form. The curling of the tab sectionsshould be on a radius great enough to avoid creasing or breaking of thestock of the sections to an extent such that when they are released fromthe dispenser they will not uncurl and lie fiat in essentially the flatplane of the balance of the towel. For this reason it is generallyadvisable in the case of especially stiff sheets to provide somewhatlonger hanger slots than may be necessary in the case of less stifisheets which can be curled on a shorter radius without damage.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that it is impossible to give anyhard and fast specifications or limits for the exact location, width,length and angle of divergence of the hanger slots 17 and 18 since theseproperties of the slots depend upon so many properties not only of thetowel itself but also of a dispenser in which a pack of the towels maybe mounted for dispensing individual towels from it. However, with theforegoing considerations in mind, it is a simple matter, after the paperstock from which the towels are to be made and the particular dispenserwhich is to be used have been decided upon, to prepare a few individualtowels in which slots of differing characteristics as guided by theforegoing discussion are cut and to then see which slot provides for themost satisfactory dispensing of the towel from the dispenser. Such atesting procedure can be carried out rapidly and easily without the useof special equipment of any sort.

Referring now to a dispenser suitable for containing a pack of towelssimilar to that of FIGURE 1 from which individual towels can bedispensed as desired, it will be noted from FIGURE 2 that one suitabledispenser comprises a flat cabinet of neat appearance, indicatedgenerally at numeral 31, which can be hung on a wall or other support inany suitable fashion. The cabinet 31 as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 13comprises a back member, including a back panel 32, forwardly projectinginner side panels 33 and 34 and a forwardly projecting inner top panel35. The panels 33 and 34 are not necessarily connected at their upperends with the panel 35. The cabinet 31 also comprises a front member,including a front panel panels 37 and 38 when the cabinet is closed isshown and a rearwardly projecting outer top panel 41. The back and frontmembers are dimensioned with respect to one another so that the backmember will telescope easily and snugly inside the front member when thecabinet is closed as in FIGURE 2. The back and front members are hingedtogether at the bottom as by hinge pins 42 of FIGURE 3 to permit thecabinet to be opened and closed by rotating the front member around thepins 42 with respect to the back member. The relationship of the innerside panels 33 and 34 and the outer side panels 37 and 38 when thecabinet is closed is shown particularly in FIGURE 13.

The cabinet 31 is provided with any suitable fastening arrangement tokeep it closed, as by a hook 43 secured to the lower side of the innertop panel 35 and a suitable catch 44 secured in suitable fashion insidethe upper part of the front member in a position such that when thecabinet is closed the hook will engage the catch. Any convenient meanscan be employed for unlatching the fastening device when it is desiredto open the cabinet. One convenient arrangement, indicated in FIGURE 2,comprises an open slot in the outer top panel 41 through which a key orother flat instrument can be inserted to depress the rearward end of thelatch 44 and disengage it from the hook 43. The back and front membersare open at the bottom. However, the lower end of the front panel 36can, if desired, be sloped rearwardly in the form of a sloping throatpanel 46 to decrease somewhat the size of the opening at the bottom ofthe cabinet and thus to restrict to some extent the entrance of dust anddirt into the cabinet as well as to prevent pilferage of towels from thebottom of the dispenser.

The back member is provided with a pair of hanger plates 47 and 48, oneof which is shown in FIGURE 3 and both of which are shown in FiGURE 13.The hanger plates serve to support a pack of paper towels of the kindillustrated in FIGURE 1 within the cabinet. One method of forming andattaching the hanger plate 47 is illustrated in FIGURES 7 and 8, itbeing understood that the opposite hanger plate 48 is formed and securedin similar fashion. According to the arrangement of FIGURES 7 and 8, asuitably contoured strip of metal or other suitable material is formedin an approximately right-angular configuration so that one arm of thebent member can serve as a support plate 51 for the hanger plate 47. Thesupport plate is secured to the inner surface of the back panel 32, asby rivets 52. In an alternate method for forming the hanger plates 47and 48, a flat sheet of metal 53, which is to be used subsequently forforming the back member of the cabinet, is cut with a suitable die asillustrated in FIGURE 4 to provide a tongue which is to serve as thehanger plate 47 but which remains secured to the sheet along itsrearward end. The tongue 47 is then bent upwardly until it extends atapproximately right angles from the sheet 53 and the side of the sheetis also bent upwardly along the dotted line 54. In the finished cabinetthe upturned edge of the flat metal sheet 53 thus becomes the inner sidepanel 33 and the adjacent portion of the sheet becomes the inner backpanel 32. It is, of course, understood that the opposite hanger plate4-8 is formed in similar manner at the same time.

The contours and locations of the hanger plates 47 and 48 within thecabinet 31 are of considerable importance. The outer edges of the hangerplates can be located as closely adjacent to the inner side panels 33and 34 as conveniently possible in the interest of conserving space andmaterial required to form the cabinet. It will thus be apparent as thedescription proceeds that the cabinet need only be a little wider thanthe width of a pack of towels which is to be suspended in it. Thelocation of such a pack in the filled cabinet is shown clearly in FIG-URES 3 and 10, as well as in various others of the figures, theoutermost or front towel of the pack being referred to by the numeral 15and the pack, in general, being referred to by the numeral 55. As isseen from FIGURE 3, the pack 55 can extend almost to the top of thecabinet leaving room above it only for the hook 43 and catch 44 or forother elements of similar function. Similarly, as will be apparent froman examination of FIGURE 10, the pack 55 can extend essentially to thebottom of the cabinet so that the over-all area of the cabinet need bevery little more than the over-all area of each individual towel.

It will be noticed from FIGURE 8, as well as from FIGURE 6 and fromvarious other of the figures, that the hanger plates 47 and 48 slopedownwardly and laterally from their outer edges toward the center of thecabinet in much the same way as the hanger slots 17 and 18 in the towel15 of FIGURE 1 diverge inwardly of the towel away from its top edge 22.As will be apparent from the drawing, especially from FIGURE 6, thehanger plates 47 and 48 are inserted into the hanger slots 17 and 18,respectively, of the towelswhen a pack of towels is loaded into thecabinet. The loading operation is accomplished by opening the cabinetand swinging its front member downwardly out of the way and theninserting a pack of towels into the cabinet against the back panel 32 sothat each hanger plate engages its respective hanger slot in each of thetowels in the pack, it being apparent from FIGURE 14 that the band 16should not cover the hanger slots. This relationship is shown clearly inFIGURES 3, 6, 10 and 13. After the pack has been inserted and the bandremoved, the cabinet is again closed.

The degree of slope, i.e. the angle of divergence, of the hanger plates47 and 48 is dependent to some extent upon the characteristics, such asthe stiffness, of the paper towel which is to be dispensed using thedispenser. In general, the hanger plates should diverge centrally of thedispenser at an angle of from about 5 to about 30 away from the innertop panel 33 of the cabinet, usually at an angle of from about 8 toabout 23. It will, of course, be apparent that, in general, the angle ofdivergence, as indicated at 56 of FIGURE 6, of the hanger plates awayfrom the inner top panel 35 of the cabinet will be approximately thesame as their angle of divergence away from the top edges 22 of thepaper sheets in a pack loaded into the dispenser since the top edges 22will generally be essentially parallel with the inner top panel 35.Although it will be noted that the range of angles of divergence givenfor the hanger plates 47 and 48, as indicated at 56 of FIGURE 6, isapproximately the same as that for the hanger slots of the paper towelswhich are to be dispensed using the dispenser, it should be pointed outthat in any particular instance it is generally advisable that the angleof divergence of the hanger plates be slightly greater than the angle ofdivergence of the hanger slots 17 and 18 of the towels. Although thisdifference will also depend to some extent upon the particularproperties of the paper sheet to be dispensed, it is generallysatisfactory for the hanger plates to diverge at an angle which is fromabout 2 to about 5 greater than the angle of divergence of the hangerslots. Thus, in the instance where paper towels having thecharacteristics previously referred to are to be dispensed from thedispenser, it is often convenient for the hanger plates 47 and 48 todiverge from the inner top panel 35, or from the top edge 22 of a towelsuspended in the dispenser, at an angle which is approximately 3 greaterthan the angle at which the respective hanger slots 17 and I8 divergefrom the top edge 22 of the towel. This preferred relationship betweenthe hanger plates and hanger slots is shown clearly in FIGURE 6. Thereason for this preferred difference in the angles of divergence of theplates and slots will be mentioned later.

The proper contouring of the edge of each hanger plate facing theopposite hanger plate, i.e. its inner edge, is also important. Asillustrated, especially in FIGURES 4, 7 and 13, it is convenient for theinner edge of each plate to extend forwardly in the dispenseressentially perpendicularly to the back panel 32 for a considerabledistance, conveniently for a distance at least as great as the thicknessof a pack of towels which is to be mounted in the dispenser fordispensing. However, it will also be noted that the forward section 91of the inner edge of the hanger plate 47, i.e. the section farthestremoved from the back panel 32, is curved relatively sharply toward theopposite hanger plate 48, the same being true of the forward section 92of the hanger plate 48 with respect to the hanger plate 47. The sections91 and $2 thus curve forwardly of the dispenser toward one another onessentially equal radii. The advantage of this configuration will bereferred to later.

The actual radius of curvature of the forward section of the inner edgeof each hanger plate can lie within a relatively wide range depending,to a considerable extent, upon the physical properties of the particulartowels to be dispensed from the dispenser. Generally speaking, it isadvisable in most instances for the radius for curvature of the sections91 and 92 to be between about A; inch and about inch. In the dispensingof paper towels having properties heretofore mentioned, it is usuallyconvenient to form the sections 91 and 92 on a radius of from.about Ainch to about inch.

It is also desirable, although not essential in all cases, that the baseof each hanger plate, i.e. the end or edge of the plate adjacent to theback panel 32, be formed on a short radius as indicated at 57 of FIGURES5, 6, 7 and 8 so that the rearward end of the plate curves upwardslightly before it adjoins or becomes integral with the back panel 32.This curvature of the rearward ends of the hanger plates can be quitesmall, usually on a radius between about A inch and A inch or more,often about A; inch. The advantage of forming the hanger plate in thisWay is that, as illustrated in FIGURES and 6, when a pack of papertowels is disposed in the cabinet on the hangers in the way which hasbeen mentioned, and with the plates 47 and 48 diverging from the upperedges of the sheets somewhat more than the hanger slots 17 and 18, theouter lower corners of the friction tabs 27 and 28 will be curledforwardly to a slight extent by the weight of the towels and assume theposture illustrated in an exaggerated manner at 58 of FIGURES 5 and 6.This slightly curled posture of the lower outer corners of the frictiontab sections of each towel in response to the upwardly curved nature ofthe rearward ends 57 of the hanger plates is accentuated by therelationship of the angles of divergence of the hanger plates and thehanger slots described in connection with FIGURE 6, which causes thelower outer corners of the tab sections 27 and 28 to contact the uppersurfaces of the hanger plate first, and thus to sustain the entireweight of the sheet or towel until a slight amount of curling of thecorner occurs and further sections of the upper edge of the hanger slotfarther removed from the edge of the sheet are brought into contact withthe upper surface of the hanger plate. This arrangement initiates andfacilitates further curling of the friction tab sections 27 and 28during the dispensing operation which will now be described.

The manner in which a towel or sheet is dispensed from the dispenserwill be apparent from the foregoing paragraphs and from an inspection ofFIGURES 10, ll, 12 and 13. In FIGURE 10 it will be noted that a pack ofpaper towels 55, from which the band 16 has been removed, is disposedwithin the dispenser in the way which has been described, the hangerplate 47 engaging the hanger slot 17 of each towel contained in thepack. The

. front towel which will be dispensed first is referred to by thenumeral 15, it being understood that once the front towel is dispensedthe towel immediately behind it can then be dispensed next and that thisoperation can be repeated until every towel in the pack has beendispensed. The dispensing operation is initiated by causing a frictionalforwarding element 61 of FIGURE 10, the actuation of which will bereferred to later, to engage the forward surface of the front towelfrictionally at a point below the hanger plates 47 and 48 and to thenmove downwardly in the cabinet while still in engagement with the towel,thus forwarding the towel downwardly in progressive fashion, asillustrated in FIGURES 11 and 12,

. until the lower end of the towel projects from the open bottom of thedispenser far enough to be grasped by the hand. The frictionalforwarding element 61 can then return to its original position. Thepartially extended towel 15 is then grasped by the hand and drawndownwardly out of the dispenser.

Referring again to FIGURE 10, it will be noted that the front towel 15is disposed within the dispenser with the hanger plate 47 engaging thehanger slot 17 much as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6.. It is, of course,under- 1t) stood that the hanger plate 48 engages the hanger slot 18 ina similar fashion. As soon as the frictional element 61 in its downwardmovement engages the front surface of the front towel 15 and begins toforward the towel downwardly, forward curling of the friction tabsections 27 and 28 of the towel toward one another occurs, as shown inan intermediate stage in FIGURE 11, in response to the pressure of thesloping lower ends of the friction tab sections upon the upper surfacesof the hanger plates.

As the towel 15 is forwarded further downwardly, the lower edges of thefriction tab sections 27 and 28 engage the inwardly curved forward endsections 91 and 92 of the inner edges of the hanger plates 47 and 48 andthe curling of each tab section toward the opposite tab section isaccentuated. As the frictional element 61 continues its downward travel,the curling of each entire friction tab section is caused to occur untilthe entire section is, as shown in FIGURE 12, in approximately partialcylindrical configuration, the curling usually occurring through aradius of at least approximately until each friction tab section is inthe approximate configuration of at least one-quarter of the surface ofa cylinder, often being almost semi-cylindrical in configuration. Thisfinal configuration of the friction tab sections 27 and 28 and theirrelationships to the hanger plates 47 and 48, to the section of thetowel 15 below the hanger slots and to the rest of the pack 55 are shownclearly in FIGURE 13. Here it will be noted that the curled tab sections27 and 28, because of their inherent stiffness and because they are notcurled on a small enough radius to cause breakage or creasing of thesections, press firmly and outwardly against the inner edges of thehanger plates 47 and 48 while the upper section of the towel between thetab sections 27 and 28, e.g. the section 63, because of the tensionunder which the tab sections 27 and 28 are held, presses firmly againstthe next adjacent towel in the pack.

By arresting the downward travel of the towel 15 when it has beenforwarded downwardly sufficiently to assume the position shown inFIGURES 12 and 13, e.g. for roughly one-half the length of the sections,the frictional forwarding element 61 can then be returned to itsoriginal position as shown in FIGURE 10 out of contact with the towel15, and the pressure of the tab sections 27 and 28 against the hangerplates 47 and 48, and of the upper central section 63 of the towelagainst the next adjacent towel, causes the forwarded towel to remainsuspended in the dispenser with its lower end protruding beneath thedispenser in a position where it can be grasped readily by the hand.With the towel suspended in this fashion there is no danger of itsslipping downwardly out of the cabinet and falling on the floor tobecome soiled and wasted even though it be left suspended in this mannerover a considerable time. It is apparent that once the towel 15 has beenwithdrawn completely from the dis penser the foregoing dispensing cyclecan be repeated immediately and the next most forward towel dispensed inthe same manner.

The frictional forwarding element 61 illustrated in FIGURES 9, 10, 11and 12 can be of any conventional and suitable design and can be causedto travel in its path by any suitable type of mechanism. One suitablemechanism which can be employed is described and illustrated in theparent application Serial No. 678,506 and a further suitable mechanismis described and illustrated, and also claimed, in the parentapplication Serial No. 783,401. The nature of the forwarding mechanismdescribed and illustrated in this application and the manner of itsopera tion will be apparent from FIGURES 9, 10, l1 and 12. Thismechanism is secured to the inner surface of the front panel of thecabinet and projects for only a little distance rearwardly into thecabinet, thus facilitating the use of a cabinet having a minimumdistance between its front and back panels. An actuating button or knob65, secured to an element of the forwarding mechanism inside thecabinet, projects forwardly through an actuator slot 66 in the frontpanel 36, as illustrated more particularly in FIGURE 2, the slot servingto guide the knob 65 in its vertical travel and to limit its travelupwardly and downwardly. The upper surface of the knob 65 is generallysloped upwardly away from the front panel of the cabinet to prevent thefinger from slipping off the knob when the knob is pressed downwardly.The dispensing operation is effected by the operator entirely bypressing the knob 65 downwardly as far as it will go in the slot 66 andthen releasing it.

The dispensing mechanism also comprises a base plate 67 of suitably thinrigid material secured to the inside of the front panel 36 as by rivets68. The base plate 67 is provided along its vertical edges with a pairof upstanding channels which face one another and which are formedconveniently by upstanding side members 71 and narrow longitudinalstrips 72 removed from the surface of the base plate by a distance equalto the width of the side members 71. The channels thus formed are on theside of the base plate 67 opposite the front panel 36.

A suitable slider '73 of suitable width to be retained in the channelsis located therein and adapted to slide upwardly and downwardly withrespect to the base plate 67. A limit button 74 secured near the upperend of the base plate 67 limits the upward travel of the slider 73. Theslider 73 is retained normally in its uppermost or retracted position bya suitable tensioned coil spring 75, one end of which is hooked over theupper end of the base plate and the other end of which is hooked overthe lower edge of the slider. In one modification the slider is formedwith a pair of raised inverted trough-like sections 76 and the spring 75is conveniently located in one of these so that the major part of it iscovered most of the time. The base plate 67 is provided with a slot 77at least as long and as wide as the actuator slot 66 and in registertherewith. The slider 73 is also provided with a short slot 78 which,with the slider in its retracted position, is in register with the upperends of the slots 66 and 77.

An elongated actuator tongue 81 is secured at its upper end, as by arivet 82, to the upper section of the slider 73. The actuator tongueprojects downwardly of the dispenser from the rivet 82 for a suitabledistance and has the frictional forwarding element 61 secured to itslower end, as will be described. The actuator tongue 81 is formedconveniently by being molded of a suitable plastic material so that itis relatively rigid from its lower end over most of its length upwardly.Stiifening ribs 83 can be formed along the edges of its rigid section ifdesirable or necessary. The actuator tongue 81 is also formed with ashort section 84 which is sufficiently flexible to enable the forwardingelement 61 to be swung into and out of frictional engagement with theforward towel of the pack 55. This arrangement is conveniently providedfor by making the section 84 thinner than the rest of the tongue andproviding for termination of the stiffening ribs short of the flexiblesection. The entire tongue 81 can thus be molded out of a suitableresinous material. The actuator button 65 can be formed integral withthe actuator tongue 81, as illustrated in FIGURES l0, 11 or 12 or it canbe formed separately and secured to the tongue as by a rivet '85 ofFIGURE 9.

It will thus be observed that, when the mechanism is operated with theslider and attached parts in their retracted positions by pressingdownwardly on the top of the actuator button 65 with the finger, thebutton slides freely in the slots 67 and 77. Because of the pressure ofthe finger on the button 65 is offset laterally with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the actuator arm 81, the lower end of the arm isswung inwardly and the frictional element 61 is brought into engagementwith the forward towel in the pack essentially simultaneously withinitiation of the downward travel of the slider 73. The knob 65 movesfreely inwardly and outwardly through the slot 78 in the slider 73. Thedegree of pressure exerted by the frictional element'61 on the forwardtowel is related to some extent to the force exerted by the tensionspring 75. As the knob 65 is pressed downwardly the slider 73 and thetongue 81, together with the frictional element 61, move downwardly as aunit and and the front towel is forwarded downwardly in the waydescribed previously. The limit of travel of the towel downwardly is, ofcourse, defined by the length of the slot 66 and the distance throughwhich the knob 65 can travel. For best results it is generally advisableto arrange for this distance to be approximately one-half, or somewhatless, of the length of the friction tab sections 27 and 28 of the towel.

The frictional forwarding element 61 can be secured to the lower end ofthe actuator arm 81 in convenient fashion. I11 one convenientarrangement the element 61 consists of an approximately half roundsection of relatively soft rubber with surface corrugations extendingtransversely with respect to the direction of travel of the slider. Theactuator tongue 81 is formed with a broadened lower end 86 on which theelement 61 is seated and to which it is secured by a suitable wire clip87 lying in a suitable groove cut in the surface of the element 61. Theparts are preferably arranged so that the frictional element 61 engagesthe towel approximately midway between its lateral edges and at a pointbelow the horizontal center line of the towel. In this way anyinterference of the pressure exerted by the frictional element 61 uponthe pack of towels with the proper curling of the friction tab sectionsof the towel is entirely avoided.

It will, of course, be observed that during the forwarding of the fronttowel by the frictional element 61 the forwarded towel is caused toslide along the surface of the second towel in the pack. This offers nodifficulty whatsoever provided the frictional element 61 is chosen toengage the front towel with more friction than that with which theengaged section of the towel engages the next adjacent towel in thepack. It is sometimes advantageous to provide the back panel 32 with athin friction plate, illustrated at 93 of FIGURE 12, over an area of itsinner surface which receives a thrust from the frictional element 61during its travel. Such a plate can comprise a sheet of soft rubbercemented to the back panel or can even be formed by painting a suitablearea of the back panel with a composition which forms a film with afriction surface, or in any other suitable way. The provision of such afriction plate, although by no means essential, overcomes any tendency,which may sometimes be encountered with certain types of towels, formore than one towel to be forwarded downwardly by a single stroke of thefrictional forwarding element 61 when most of the towels in the packhave been dispensed.

It will be noticed that there is illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 9 atongue-like member 88 which is secured inside the front member near theupper end of the front panel 36 and which projects downwardly andrearwardly of the cabinet roughly the center of the pack of towelsmounted therein. This element, which is a flat spring with a curvedlower end, is sometimes of value when the sheets being dispensed are ofrelatively lightweight tissue. With such sheets there may be a tendencyafter the sheet has been forwarded downwardly in the cabinet for thecurled friction tab sections 27 and 28, because of their very low degreeof stiffness, to press against the hanger plates 47 and 48 withinsufficient force to retain the sheet inside the dispenser and preventit from falling out of the dispenser after the frictional forwardingelement 61 has returned to its retracted position and is no longer incontact with the sheet. By incorporating this modification the dispenserof the invention is particularly adapted to the dispensing of sheetsmade of lightweight tissue, oiled or waxed paper and other similarmaterial. However, when paper towels and sheets of other materialshaving similar properties are to be dispensed, the provision of thepressure spring 88 is unnecessary and is generally undesirable.

We claim:

1. In apparatus for dispensing single, fiat, unfolded paper sheets ofsuitable flexibility and stiffness successively from a pack thereofcomprising a plurality of sheets in face-to-face unjoined relationship,the combination including:

a cabinet adapted to enclose a pack of fiat paper sheets disposedvertically therein and comprising front, back, top and side panels,there being an opening at the bottom of the cabinet through which aSingle towel can be ejected from the pack,

a pair of essentially flat, oppositely located, plate-like hangers,

each secured with a lateral edge thereof adjacent to a side panel of thecabinet adapted to engage suitably formed opposite hanger slots in thesides of a pack of flat paper sheets to support the pack verticallywithin the cabinet,

each hanger plate diverging from its edge adjacent to a side panel at asuitable angle away from the top panel of the cabinet,

and the inner edge of each hanger plate extending forwardly in thecabinet for a suitable distance from the back panel with the end sectionof its inner edge farthest removed from the back panel being curvedgenerally toward the opposite hanger plate on a suitable radius,

and a vertically slidable forwarding means associated with the frontpanel of the cabinet adapted upon traveling downwardly to engage thesurface of the front sheet of a pack of flat paper sheets supported onthe hanger plates and to forward the engaged sheet vertically downwardfor a predetermined distance until it projects from the opening at thebottom of the cabinet.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the forward section of theinner edge of each hanger plate is curved on a radius to cause afriction tab section of a flat paper towel supported on the hangerscomprising the section of the towel extending between the hanger plateand the top edge of the towel to curl through an angle of at least about90 toward the opposite friction tab section when the towel is forwardeddownwardly while avoiding creasing or breaking of the friction tabsection.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each hanger plate divergesfrom its respective side panel at an angle between about 5 and about 30away from the top panel.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the end section of the inneredge of each hanger plate farthest removed from the back panel is curvedon a radius of from about /6 inch to about inch.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rear ward end of eachhanger plate adjacent to the back panel 14 of the cabinet is curvedupwardly on a radius of from about V inch to about inch.

6. In a flat paper towel and apparatus for dispensing towels singly froma pack thereof retained in the apparatus, the combination of elementsincluding:

a cabinet having front, back, top and side panels and having an openingat the bottom thereof through which a single towel can be ejected fromthe cabinet,

a pair of essentially flat hanger plates secured in the cabinet adjacentto opposite side panels thereof and removed a suitable distance from thetop panel of the cabinet,

each hanger plate being formed and disposed to extend forwardly in thecabinet with respect to the back panel thereof and having its outer edgelocated closely adjacent to one of the side panels,

and each hanger plate diverging from the respective side panel at anangle of from about 5 to about 30 away from the top panel and having theforward section of its inner edge farthest removed from the back panelcurved on a suitable radius generally toward the opposite hanger plate,

a pack comprising a plurality of flat paper towels having top, bottomand lateral edges in face-to-face contacting but unsecured relationshipsuspended, with the top edge of each towel extending essentiallyparallel with the top panel of the cabinet, vertically in the cabinet onthe hanger plates with each plate engaging a series of registeringhanger slots formed in the separate sheets of the pack,

each hanger slot communicating with a lateral edge of the respectivesheet and extending therefrom toward the :opposite lateral edge of thesheet and diverging therefrom away from the top edge of the sheet at anangle of from about 2 to about 5 less than the angle of divergence ofthe engaged hangers and being removed from the top edge of the sheet bya distance less than one-half the distance between the top and bottomedges of the sheet but at least as great as about 10 percent of the samedistance,

and forwarding means associated with the front panel of the cabinetadapted to engage the front sheet of the pack frictionally and toforward it downwardly in the cabinet until its lower end protrudes fromthe bottom of the cabinet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS373,301 Onderdonk Nov. 15, 1887 691,294 Schilz Jan. 14, 1902 1,200,837Hoberg Oct. 10, 1916 1,501,662 Horwitt July 15, 1924 1,844,468 FischerFeb. 9, 1932 2,299,940 Thomasma Oct. 27, 1942

1. IN APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING SINGLE, FLAT, UNFOLDED PAPER SHEETS OFSUITABLE FLEXIBILITY AND STIFFNESS SUCCESSIVELY FROM A PACK THEREOFCOMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SHEETS IN FACE-TO-FACE UNJOINED RELATIONSHIP,THE COMBINATION INCLUDING: A CABINET ADAPTED TO ENCLOSE A PACK OF FLATPAPER SHEETS DISPOSED VERTICALLY THEREIN AND COMPRISING FRONT, BACK, TOPAND SIDE PANELS, THERE BEING AN OPENING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CABINETTHROUGH WHICH A SINGLE TOWEL CAN BE EJECTED FROM THE PACK, A PAIR OFESSENTIALLY FLAT, OPPOSITELY LOCATED, PLATE-LIKE HANGERS, EACH SECUREDWITH A LATERAL EDGE THEREOF ADJACENT TO A SIDE PANEL OF THE CABINETADAPTED TO ENGAGE SUITABLY FORMED OPPOSITE HANGER SLOTS IN THE SIDES OFA PACK OF FLAT PAPER SHEETS TO SUPPORT THE PACK VERTICALLY WITHIN THECABINET, EACH HANGER PLATE DIVERGING FROM ITS EDGE ADJACENT TO A SIDEPANEL AT A SUITABLE ANGLE AWAY FROM THE TOP PANEL OF THE CABINET, ANDTHE INNER EDGE OF EACH HANGER PLATE EXTENDING FORWARDLY IN THE CABINETFOR A SUITABLE DISTANCE FROM THE BACK PANEL WITH THE END SECTION OF ITSINNER EDGE FARTHEST REMOVED FROM THE BACK PANEL BEING CURVED GENERALLYTOWARD THE OPPOSITE HANGER PLATE ON A SUITABLE RADIUS, AND A VERTICALLYSLIDABLE FORWARDING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT PANEL OF THE CABINETADAPTED UPON TRAVELING DOWNWARDLY TO ENGAGE THE SURFACE OF THE FRONTSHEET OF A PACK OF FLAT PAPER SHEETS SUPPORTED ON THE HANGER PLATES ANDTO FORWARD THE ENGAGED SHEET VERTICALLY DOWNWARD FOR A PREDETERMINEDDISTANCE UNTIL IT PROJECTS FROM THE OPENING AT THE BOTTOM OF THECABINET.